Looking at you, Looking back at me,,,awkwardly
by Renny Sance
Summary: Elmont and Jack were always the odd couple. The war between the humans and giants had brought them together again. Not only did they have to fight the Giants of Gantua but they had to fight their growing feelings for each other.
1. Tell Me A Tale

**AN: This is going to be a multichaptered fic. It will follow the movie plotline a bit but will sometimes veer off.  
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Fee. Fye. Foe. Fumm. Ask not whence the thunder comes.

It was Jack's eighth birthday and he had gotten a King Erik doll and a Giant doll from his father. He was beyond excited, his father had been reading the Giants of Gantua , his favourite book to him since he was able to understand the story.

After he received his gift, his father needed to go the market to buy bread and he required that Jack come along for the journey. The market was a long way from their home and his father didn't want to leave him unattended.

Jack brought his dolls along to the market.

When they arrived, Jack was told by his father to stay close by him and not to wander off. But, Jack was the type of boy to get distracted easily.

He was making his dolls fight each other and was unconsciously moving backwards. What he didn't notice was an older boy having a wooden swordfight with another boy.

That older boy was also backing up and didn't notice little Jack.

They collided with each other and the older boy fell backwards onto Jack's backside.

Jack's dolls went flying a few feet away. The older boy's sword went flying as well.

"Elmont! Are you okay?" the older boy's friend asked, helping him up and then handing him his sword.

"I'm good, I don't know about that boy I crushed." Elmont replied.

They both turn around and see the little boy still flat on his face, clearly winded.

Elmont crouches down and gently turns Jack over. Elmont sees Jack slowly open his eyes.

"What happened?" says Jack.

"We bumped into each other and we both fell." Elmont replied, helping Jack up.

Jack was dusting himself off but stopped suddenly when he realized, "Where are my dolls!"

Elmont frowns in confusion. His friend speaks up, "Oh…there's one." He goes and picks up the Giant doll and hands it to Jack.

Elmont looks around for other dolls. He spots the King Erik doll and goes to get it.

"Here you go," Elmont hands back the doll to Jack. Elmont looks at the dolls in Jack's hands. "Cool dolls kid" Elmont states.

"Thanks," Jack says enthusiastically.

"Jack!" his father shouts, searching for him.

Jack is startled. "That's me."

Elmont and his friend chuckle slightly. "Crawe, we should go" His friend nods in agreement.

They depart ways.

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**Thanks for reading! Review please :)**


	2. Cautious Glances

**AN: Yay! Next chapter! Warning, this story will not be updated that fast after this one. Please read the author's note after the story.**

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Four years later…

Jack's father needed to do business with a person who lived inside the castle walls.

Jack wanted to come along so he could have an adventure.

While Jack's father was meeting someone, he told Jack to stay around the knight's training ground and not cause any trouble.

Jack had brought along the Giants of Gantua book and found a place to sit at the training ground. There were no knights there presently.

He flips through several pages of the book, journeying through the adventures of King Erik's climb of the Great Beanstalk and the discovery of the Giants.

He was so engrossed in the book that he didn't hear some knights enter the grounds.

It was when he heard a clang of metal, that he looked up and saw two knights fighting with swords.

He watched them fight for a few minutes.

"Crawe, make sure that you don't forget to use your shield."

"Yes, I would do well to remember that," replied Crawe glancing down at his lowered shield. "Thank you Elmont."

"Yes, indeed." Jack looks back down at his book and continues reading.

Elmont glances at the viewing area and sees a boy turning the pages of his book, something about the boy looked vaguely familiar. He rotates his sword for the next round. Crawe watches Elmont and finds that he's distracted. He glances to where Elmont is staring, there's a boy reading. He returns his focus to Elmont and clears his throat.

Elmont snaps out of his trance. They continue to duel.

Jack's father comes to get Jack when his meeting had ended. "Did you have a good time?"

"I have almost finished the book," Jack says with happiness.

"Alright then Jack, we must be off." They leave the training grounds.

"I think that's enough for today," says Elmont to Crawe. They start heading back to the armoury. Elmont surveys the area. The boy is not there anymore. He sighs.

They arrive at the armoury and start discussing the knighthood ceremonies for the Royal Guard. It was a prestigious and difficult rank to achieve and would take several years of training. Not only that but they must swear fealty to the King of Cloister during an oath ceremony. They ponder this for a while and retire to their respective homes.

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**AN: Thank you for reading! For the first chapter how old did you think Elmont was? I need to know this. Please put his age in the reviews or private message me. Review :)**


	3. Pulling On My Heartstrings

**AN: I apologize for taking so long. Thank you for the reviews, follows and favourites. Thank you to the people who answered my question about their ages. For the first chapter: Jack was 8, Elmont was 15. Second chapter: Jack was 12, Elmont was 19. I realize that there is a big age difference in my fanfiction, but the actors are about 20 years apart. I reduced the age difference to seven years.  
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Four years later…

It was finally the day of the royal knighting ceremony, and Elmont and Crawe, along with other knights, were ready. They had been training for this day for the past few years. Only some of them would be chosen to protect the princess. The king and his loyal advisors had been watching them since they began as lesser knights. Today the Royal Guardians would be announced.

The trumpets sound out the arrival of the King and the young princess Isabelle. All rise as they approach. The royals simply nod their heads with a smile of acknowledgement. The King starts his speech.

"It is with great honour that we accept the utmost protection of our dutiful knights. Therefore, this day we bring those that are most loyal, brave and strong to serve the kingdom of Cloister."

A page steps forth with a chest. Inside there are ten Royal Guardian badges. The page takes out a scroll and holds it out for the King to read. He calls up eight knights. They are each given a Royal Guardian badge. The last two are for Elmont and Crawe.

"Captain Crawe, you are hereby inducted into the royal service of Cloister as one of the Royal Guardians." The King hands him a badge, "Congratulations, may you be a constant protector of my Isabelle. Lastly…"

Elmont was still on the sidelines, nervously waiting for the final name to be called.

"Captain Elmont, you are hereby inducted into the royal service of Cloister as one of the Royal Guardians." Elmont receives the badge and bows to the King and princess and takes his place beside Crawe. "This concludes the ceremony. You are hereby dismissed until the sun has set."

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It was early in the morning and Jack was given the task of selling crops at the market. His uncle needed the money for supplies to build a horse drawn cart.

Jack was at the market selling a few crops when he noticed a small crowd forming in front of a small stage. From what he could see it was a puppet show.

He left the stall after deciding that not very many people would be buying his crops. Most of them were too busy watching the show.

Jack had told himself that he could use this entertainment to cheer himself up since his father had died a month ago from the plague.

He sat down behind the younger children and took in the scene in front of him. The marionettes were depicting a scene from the _Giants of Gantua_ storybook.

"In the time of King Erik 310," a puppeteer moved a King Erik marionette.

"Monks on the pathway to seek out their god," several monk marionettes approach the paper leaves of the Great Beanstalk.

"But when they thought what they came to was heaven's gate. They met with a terrible, grisly fate."

"For between Heaven and Earth is a perilous place," read the narrator. "Home to a fearsome giant race!" a Giant marionette was introduced onto the stage.

Jack was mesmerized as his imagination came to life on the small stage, but as the giants came down the beanstalk to plunder Albion, his home, he realized that he needed to get back to his stall.

If he wanted to make enough money for the cart, he had to sell more. He quickly got up.

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Elmont and Crawe left the ceremony.

"Let's go celebrate," said Crawe.

"Away from the courts," Elmont replies. "I need some fresh air and entertainment."

They walk towards the town square, Elmont hears a crowd cheering. Approaching the crowds, he sees that a puppet show is retelling the story of King Erik and the Giants.

Settling for a spot behind a row of spectators sitting on the ground, he watched the show play out.

Getting a little bored with the show he looks down at his new badge. It has a nice shine to it. He can't help but smile. He traces the patterns on it, liking the feeling of it in his hands. The edges are sharp.

Suddenly, a boy gets up in front of him. The boy's head hits his hands. The badge falls from his grasp and clatters to the ground.

"I'm so….so sssss…sorry, sir" Jack apologizes. He quickly picks up the badge and attempts to polish it with his sleeve.

"There's no need…." Elmont begins.

Jack ignores him and returns it back to Elmont bowing. Jack attempts to leave but Elmont stops him.

"I got this badge today, you know," Elmont states. Jack gulps, not sure whether the knight was angry.

"I am quite happy today, I must say," Elmont starts. "I am now a Royal Guardian, it will be, or now is, my duty to protect the King and the princess. A great honour…, the greatest, position to have in the entire kingdom."

"Umm…yay," Jack tries to be enthusiastic but is still not sure if his life was being threatened.

Elmont stops and looks at the boy he is talking to. His eyes were so blue. Very blue. He looked to be around sixteen or seventeen.

Crawe, distracted from the play, had noticed Elmont talking to a young boy. Then the talking ceased, Elmont was staring into the boy's eyes while the boy was looking in fear into Elmont's. This continued for a very unnaturally long time. As neither one was moving Crawe decides to interrupt.

"Ahem!" Crawe coughs. Elmont and Jack snap their heads in Crawe's direction, realizing that they had been staring too long.

"Elmont. The sun is setting. We must return to the castle," declares Crawe.

Elmont looks back at Jack. He places a hand on Jack's shoulder and smiles. Jack can't help but smile back.

Elmont and Crawe turn and leave. Jack watches the retreating figures of the two knights.

"…Oh right! The crops!" exclaims Jack.

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**AN: Review please :) Next chapter probably will take long again, sorry in advance. **


	4. Dawned On Me

**AN: Jack's back. This chapter is the start of the movie plotline. Thanks to everyone who reviewed, followed, favourited, and read this story. I will try my best to update frequently. **

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Two years later…

"Fee. Fye. Foe. Fumm. Ask not whence the thunder comes. Ask not where the herds have gone. Nor why the birds have ceased their song. When coming home don't take too long. For monsters roam in Albion."

A man of short stature performed the lines of the play. As he spoke, out came a person dressed as a giant who was fighting with people dressed as habitants of Cloister.

Jack entered the large tent after tying his horse and cart outside. He had come to the market to sell his horse and cart after his uncle told him they needed thatch for the holes in the roof. They had to sell it for money. But the crowd gathered inside the tent of Erik the Great distracted him.

When he found a good spot to stand, he realized the play was a live-action performance of his favourite book, _The Giants of Gantua._ He grinned in recognition. He noticed a feminine figure to his left. She glanced at him and they made eye contact. Both smiled curtly at each other. But other men had noticed her too. The men started harassing the lady and Jack just had to intercept. This resulted with a punch in the face.

"To be honest I thought you were too drunk to do that." Jack revealed in shock. Jack kept on babbling about not treating a lady with respect and that they would get in trouble…

All of a sudden they were cowering in fear and everyone in the tent was bowing. The lady had gotten on a horse behind one of the knights and had taken off her hood.

"There's something behind me isn't there?" Jack doesn't want to turn around, but he senses a presence. He turns and sees that it is a cluster of knights from the Royal Guard, and one of them has a sword pointed at him.

Elmont's breath catches for a split second when the boy turns around. He felt as if he had seen that face before.

"What's your name?" Elmont questions the boy in front of him, wanting to know his name, though at the same time it was also his duty to ask.

Jack stares in fear and answers stuttering, "Jack." If the sword wasn't pointed at him at this moment he would have appreciated the sight of the man in armor.

"Something wrong with your knees Jack?" Elmont tested out the name on his tongue.

Jack liked as his name was spoken by the knight, even though this was the worst circumstance ever. Glancing at the lady on the horse, he realizes that the lady was in fact the princess. Jack quickly kneels. Elmont gives a withering look at the scene before him, lifts his sword from Jack and rides after the rest of the knights.

Excited by his encounter with the Royal Guard Jack watches them as they return to the palace. Jack leaves the tent in search of his horse and cart. He finds the horse but no cart. Giving up he attempts to sell only the horse. A monk suddenly approaches him and franticly offers to buy the horse, giving Jack a small pouch of beans. Jack is annoyed and refuses. The monk states that the church will give money for returning the beans. The beans were of great value in the history of Cloister. Jack stares at the beans, questioning their worth. The monk then gallops away with the horse, leaving a warning: _Do Not Get Them Wet_.

Jack returns home with the special beans and shows them to his uncle. His uncle begins lecturing him about how the church does not have money and that beans are worthless. The beans are thrown to the floor. Jack picks the beans back up, but one slips through the cracks.

The Guardians arrive at the palace and deliver the princess to the King. She tells Elmont that sometimes she needs to have some freedom. However, she gets into an argument with her father and storms out of the throne room, retreating to her bedchambers. She just wants to see the world as the common people do, learn their ways and help her people. The knight's are then dismissed and given a break for finding the princess.

Elmont and Crawe most definitely did deserve that break, it was a tough job keeping track of where the princess went.

A stroll through the castle grounds seemed like a good idea.

"Rather eventful today, is it not Elmont?"

"Yes, it is a beautiful day."

"... something on your mind?"

"Did that boy look familiar to you, Crawe?"

"Ahh. Yes, I think that we may have met him before."

"I do hope that we get to see him again."

"And why is that, Elmont?"

"Nothing, really."

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**Review :)**


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